Halloween: The word itself instantly conjures up images of costumed trick-or-treaters, ghosts and ghouls rising from their graves.

After the death of her beloved Grandmother Hudson, Rain found herself caught in a In the grand tradition of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Anne Rice, The Ultimate Halloween gathers together a collection of new and old, unique and terrifying fantasy and horror stories centering around the holiday known as All Hallows Eve. Here you'll find Al Sarrantonio's "Pumpkin Head," William F. Nolan's "The Halloween Man," and a bevy of other spine-tingling works.

So lock the doors, dim the lights, and allow your host for the evening -- editor Marvin Kaye -- to usher you through the darkened streets and haunted forests of the imagination. But be sure to keep your mask on tight -- the creatures of the night are less likely to attack if they think you're one of them....